Citroën Visa, the first "by PSA"

Today's automobile industry is, so to speak, convoluted. You may be thinking of buying a specific car, for whatever reason, but it is very possible that that car of your dreams is a whole “potpourri”. Today you cannot talk about brands, it is better to talk about industrial groups: VAG, PSA, General Motors, Hyundai Motors ... 

The last to add assets has been PSA, initials, in case someone did not know, of "Peugeot Société Anonyme", whose translation into Spanish is quite clear. That asset has been Opel, a brand owned by General Motors for decades (in 1931 it took full control of the brand) and which has gone on to work alongside Peugeot, Citroën and DS Automobiles. For many, it is a way of losing personality, for others, it is a way of deceiving customers and for others, it is the only way to survive in today's extremely competitive market. 

By joining several manufacturers under the same roof, development costs are shared and therefore easier to bear. That, on the other hand, causes that many cars are almost identical under their bodywork: platforms, engines, systems, technology; even details that sometimes go unnoticed such as the pedals, the keypad or the secondary controls such as levers of the direction indicators and windshield wipers. For this reason, there are many users who claim that it is a way of deceiving people, selling the same car, but with different bodywork and earning double the money. 

We are not going to judge that kind of thing here, although we are going to comment that it is an erroneous assertion. Our goal is to remember a model that was born from one of these mergers, or rather, we want to remember the first car that was born from the creation of PSA. Well, actually our idea revolved around the most performance version of this car, although for this we have to review a little the launch of the protagonist: the Citroën Visa. 

PSA is born

PSA is not just another industrial conglomerate within the automobile sector, it is one of the most important in Europe and the largest automobile manufacturer in Spain (it contributes around 8 or 9% of GDP) and after its merger with FIAT-Chrysler Automobiles, it has become the world's fourth-largest vehicle manufacturer. 

However, when this industrial group was formed it was not so large and important. It was the 70s and after poor results, Citroën was in serious trouble. They had bought Panhard in 1965, with the aim of taking advantage of the experience of this company to create a complete range of models that would fill the gap between the simple Citroën 2CV and the sophisticated Citroën DS. A range that, obviously, ended up arriving and that also ended up being the brand's main problem.

By the time Citroën had its full range, the oil crisis broke out and the French firm was in trouble. It had a very large range, but also very unbalanced, something that prevented it from adapting to the needs that were emerging. Peugeot took advantage of the situation and took control of Citroën in 1975, creating the PSA group the following year, in 1976.

It was then that more conservative and less risky designs began to be implemented.Well, life as a whole started out being quite complicated. Group synergies also began to be put into practice, sharing components and developments (expenses included, as can be expected).

The Citroën Visa appears

You may be thinking that we have been confused before, that the first Citroën product within PSA is not the Visa, but the Citroën LN. On the one hand, you are right, but on the other, the LN is not a Citroën product itself. In reality, the LN was a patch, a fix that Peugeot made starting from its little 104, to cover the market and weather the storm, while Citroën's mess was "fixed" and a new model was shaped.

Although it may seem a lie, Peugeot did not have a current account as strong as it does now and at that time, all the money was being taken by the Citroën CX, leaving few possibilities of investment in new projects. Thus, Peugeot took its 104 (which was also marketed as the Talbot Samba) and "branded" it as Citroën. It had some differences, like the engines, but they were minimal.

We cannot forget the quasi-collaboration agreement between Citroën and FIAT. Before the French lion arrived, Michelin was part of Citroën's shareholding. When FIAT took over part of Michelin, the French tested the possibility of having the base of the FIAT 127 (platform, running gear, brakes, steering…) to develop and put into circulation a model that would serve as a replacement for some of the "old" models, such as the Ami, the Dyane 6 or the indefatigable Citroën 2CV. Obviously, things did not work and the arrival of Peugeot saved the situation with the launch of the LN.

Meanwhile, the project that would give rise to the Visa continued on its way, but this time, with renewed airs. The platform of the five-door Peugeot 104 (slightly modified) was taken, it was equipped with a body and interior 100% Citroën and was presented at the Paris Motor Show. The initial reception was good, although of all the brand's models, the Visa is one of the most criticized for its image, both at the time and today.

The Citroën Visa was, really, the first project of PSA, as it was a development that began when the conglomerate was formed and shared things with the Peugeot 104, without being a mere copy, as if they were the Citroën LN. From the small Peugeot model, the aforementioned platform, the front axle, the steering and one of the engines were taken, but it was a completely different car and not only by design. Initially it used the 2CV engine (two cylinders, 652 cc and 35 hp), but shortly thereafter it began to offer the four-cylinder block and 1.124 cc with 48 hp from Peugeot.

Restyling, new engines and even an all-wheel drive

Although the image of the car was not to everyone's taste, as is always the case with Citroën models, sales were booming, as is also often the case with this brand. But that does not mean that everything was perfect and when 1981 came, The Citroën Visa undergoes a restyling, an update that affects the front (the nose that would carry the eternal C15 finally appears), the rear area, plastic protections on the sides of the body and a cabin that received totally new, more modern, better quality elements and more equipment.

Under the hood all the mechanics were also renewed, appearing the first diesel engines (Visa 17 D and 17 RD). They were not like the diesel engines we have now, as they produced 60 hp, vibrated a lot and emitted exhaust smoke that would have scandalized all current electric car advocates. But this was not the best, there were still things to come.

One of them, more than interesting, was the Visa Chrono, which in addition to a more sporty and aerodynamic body, had a more powerful engine, a 1.4-liter four-cylinder (1.369 cubic centimeters) and 93 hp. Same propellant used by the Visa GT, although in that case the power was 80 hp. We can't overlook the Citroën Visa 1000 tracks, basically a project for Group B, animated by a 1.4-liter 112 hp and all-wheel drive, which did not go very far given the structural limitations of the set (and the Citroën BX 4TC was developed).

Citroën Visa GTi, the swan song

Meanwhile, the best version of the entire range appeared, a version that offered features and an image more, let's say, acceptable, and that was able to convince many users. Serve as an example that it has been and continues to be a fairly common car in rallying, a sport in which it excelled. We refer to Citroën Visa GTi, the swan song of the Visa, as it appeared only three years after its end of production, leaving its place to the successful Citroën AX.

When it comes to the little "GTi of the 80s", the Citroën Visa always ends up being the great forgotten. Everyone remembers the FIAT Uno Turbo, Renault 5 Turbo or the Ford Fiesta XR2, but few people remember the Visa GTi. It is easier for fans to mention the AX GTi than its predecessor, although at heart, it is a particularly interesting car. On the one hand, it hid under the hood the same 1.6 of 105 CV of the first delivery of the Peugeot 205 GTi, a model that today is a cult object and that at that time had been on the market for two years.

From the 205 GTi it also took the entire front axle, which forced some changes. This axle was wider than the Visa body itself and required a small adaptation, hence the presence of plastic fins. In turn, this caused the rear axle to be much narrower than the front one, affecting its driving to the limit, although Mr. Arturo de Andrés, in Automobile 101 magazine of June 1986, classified the Visa GTi as a delicious car to drive and use, with superb brakes, highly efficient lights and above-average versatility.

It must be said, however, that Arturo was talking about the next version that appeared of the Visa GTi, which increased the engine power to 115 hp, improving performance, but above all, the elasticity and versatility of use of the propeller. What's more, the Citroën Visa GTi was a tremendously light car, a featherweight compared to its current counterpart, the Citroën C3, since there is about 200 kilos of difference. The Citroën Visa GTi weighed only 870 kilos (the lightest C3 exceeds 1.000 kilos), being especially agile and fun when cornering, although with a bit nervous to the limit on its rear axle.

Currently it is difficult to find units of the Visa GTi because a huge number of them ended their days in the special stages. It was an especially popular car with rally fans and that led to many drives coming to an abrupt end. If you see a unit in good condition and with a reasonable price (they do not go below 6.500 or 7.000 euros), you may not have to think about it much.